This van rear window was the target of a brick hurled on Saturday night on the Southeast Hill. Police statistics show reports of car prowlings and damage to vehicle rose slightly this past fall. - SUBMITTED PHOTO
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Medicine Hat police are ramping up the search for two women they believe are responsible for a rash of car prowlings and vandalism in the city last week.
Pictures of two suspects were released on Monday, following the service’s call to the public to submit any suspicious activity on front door cameras last week on Jan. 9 and 11 in areas of Crescent Heights and Ross Glen, respectively of the dates.
At the time, officers called the destruction that accompanied the thefts “despicable.”
Social media complaints have risen over the same time about an apparent rash of perpetrators making violent entry into cars, trucks and vans.
On Monday, a monthly operational report of the police chief was presented to city council through the police commission minutes stated that officer’s closed a file on a tire-slashing spree that occurred last fall on the Southeast Hill.
The report, dated Dec. 16, states that thefts from vehicles had trended up over the previous months, from 37 city wide in September to 43 in November. Theft of cars themselves, rose from three to eight over that time.
At the same time, other types of theft, such as shoplifting had decreased.
After receiving multiple calls of punctured tires in the vicinity of the hill south of downtown on Nov. 10, a police investigation led to charges against one adult and three young offenders. Each is charged with 13 counts of mischief causing damage under $5,000, according to the report.
